Spanish unions Monday postponed a strike of public sector workers over the socialist government's tough new austerity measures for six days until June 8.

Major unions had announced a strike on June 2 and demonstrations on May 20, the day the measures unveiled by Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero are to be presented to parliament.

Zapatero announced austerity cuts worth 15 billion euros over two years in a new bid to shore up Spain's public finances after stocks plunged over fears it could follow Greece into a debt crisis.

The measures include a five percent pay cut for public sector workers from June, a freeze on state pensions and wage freeze from 2011.

The cuts are on top of a 50-billion-euro (63-billion-dollar) austerity package announced in January designed to slash public deficit to the eurozone limit of three percent of gross domestic product by 2013 from 11.2 percent last year.

The unions have for the moment ruled out calling a national general strike in all sectors of the country.